Kristin Kobes Du Mez on Christian Culture and the World We Inherited
John sits down with historian and author Kristin Du Mez to talk about her new book, Live, Laugh, Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made. Their conversation wanders through Christian bookstores, Little House on the Prairie, purity culture, multi-level marketing, women in ministry, and the quiet ways faith, culture, and commerce have become tangled together over the last century.
Kristin invites us to become more curious. What has shaped us? What stories have we inherited without noticing? And what might it look like to hold onto faith while seeing our own history more honestly?
Dr. Stuart Macdonald about his new book, Tradition and Tension
Historian and retired Knox College professor Dr. Stuart Macdonald joins John Borthwick to discuss his book Tradition and Tension: The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1945–1985. Together they trace the growth, change, and eventual decline of the church through a period of enormous cultural transformation. Dr. Macdonald challenges the myth that this decline is simply cyclical, arguing instead that it reflects a shift unlike anything in history—one that calls for imagination, honesty, and faithfulness beyond institutional survival. The conversation touches on theology, women’s ordination, doctrine, and what it means to live as Christians outside of Christendom.
Dr. James Robertson and his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity
Dr. James Tyler Robertson joins John Borthwick to explore the overlooked origins of Canadian Christianity. Drawing on his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity, Robertson uncovers surprising parallels between the 19th-century church and today’s realities—declining attendance, social change, and cultural anxiety. The two discuss how immigration, economics, and everyday faith—not programs or evangelism—shaped past church growth, and what that means for ministry now. Along the way, they touch on heresy trials, Pierre Berton, Gen X nostalgia, and the enduring question of how the church can serve rather than survive. It’s history told with humour, depth, and a distinctly Canadian sensibility.
Sandra Beardsall - Ecumenical Shared Ministry
In this episode, Rev. Dr. Sandra Beardsall reflects on her lifelong journey with ecumenism, from early personal curiosity to decades of practical engagement. She discusses her role with the World Council of Churches’ Nicaea 2025 initiative, the rich history and evolving role of the Nicene Creed, and the broader movement for church unity. A significant portion of the conversation explores ecumenical shared ministries in Canada—what they are, how they function, and how they offer faithful, creative responses to challenges in ministry. She shares historical insights, practical examples, and thoughtful reflections on what unity and diversity mean for the Church today. The episode offers a deep and hopeful look at ecumenism from someone with lived experience and academic insight.